Breaking Barriers
by AnythingButOrdinaryGirl
Summary: High school was based on a social order or a food chain as it was often referred too but what happens when the barriers put in place 'for the best' are challenged? East High was about to find out.


**Hello everyone :) I hope you all had a wonderful christmas or wonderful holidays if you don't celebrate! I have a new oneshot for you guys, yay! Hope you like it! I have to say a big THANK YOU to all those of you who have reviewed any of my stories, I love you all, you're amazing and it truly warms my heart to hear your praise and thoughts.  


* * *

**

**Breaking Barriers**

_High school was based on a social order or a food chain as it was often referred too but what happens when the barriers put in place 'for the best' are challenged? East High was about to find out.

* * *

_

The social system at East High school in Albuquerque was one that was familiar to many schools across the whole of the United States. You had those at the top of the food chain – cheerleaders, athletic types and the rich snobs and you had those at the bottom of the food chain – the nerds, geeks and outcasts. In between all this you had many different cliques also.

Troy Bolton was at the top of the food chain; he was captain of the East High Wildcats Basketball Team and often had cheerleaders hovering for his attention every second of the day. He was therefore most definitely at the very top of the social ladder with no room to move higher. He was known as the king of east high by its student body, he was hailed as a God and that's how he was treated by almost everyone.

Gabriella Montez was at the bottom of the food chain; she was intelligent and a wallflower. The young brunette worked hard for her grades and was often a part of the scholastic decathlon and science club's. She was sweet and honest and enjoyed nothing more than reading a good book. This therefore classed her as a geek and she was largely ignored by most of the school population; acknowledged only by her close friends from the scholastic decathlon and science clubs.

Each teen had an entirely different social standing in school and a different role that was expected to be played by them. They were expected to be completely different; to be each other's enemies and haters. They weren't supposed to get along or be friends – no, that wouldn't be right, that was against the old age social code that had been in place long before any of them were even a glimmer in their parents eyes. The code was the word; it was a secret law and no teen ever dare break it. That was until now.

Troy Bolton couldn't believe his luck as he stared at the young Latina sitting at the back of his homeroom class. There sat the girl he had met over the summer during his stay with his Grandparents in California; the sweet brunette who had captured his attention with her melodic giggle and sweet personality. He had known she was transferring schools but he'd never figured she would be transferring to a school in a different state, let alone his state.

Gabriella too could not believe her eyes as she spotted the sandy haired boy who was sitting at the front of the class by their crazy teacher. What were the chances that you transferred to the same school as the person you had spent the entire summer with? She could tell you they chances were not high, not at all, yet here they were.

As the bell rang loudly through the empty hallways signalling it was time for classes to begin, Troy made his excuses to his friends and waited for Gabriella outside the door. As she walked out the classroom, he grabbed her slender frame and brought her to stand in front of him.

"I can't believe you're here!" His cerulean eyes danced as the words left his lips; he was excited to see her again.

Gabriella giggled sweetly at the look of excitement and wonderment on his face "I know! I can't believe you live here and go to this school. How weird is that?"

The sound of her giggle made his smile wider "Very weird but it's cool, I missed you this last week"

"Yeah I missed you too. So Mr Bolton, care to show me how to get to Mrs Peter's English class?"

Troy nodded his head in agreement before the pair walked down the brightly coloured red and white hallways. East High was very much about team spirit and it reflected in the decor of the school that surrounded them. Almost everything was red and white and posters of all sizes adorned the walls, showing off the sports teams and in particular the basketball team.

The pair of teens were happily chatting away about their last week apart and what Gabriella's schedule looked like until a giant poster of the one and only basketball captain captured Gabriella's attention.

Gabriella smirked slightly at her friend as her feet came to a halt in front of the life size picture "Nice picture their captain"

Troy groaned "Yeah, well if there's one thing you should know about this school is that they're obsessed with team spirit and basketball is their game"

"It's kind of funny you know, I never thought of you as being the jock type...you're too...nice" Her tone of voice expressed her puzzlement and confusion.

"I'm captain of the basketball team; it kind of makes me the school hero or something like that. It's not easy to escape but the person you met over the summer is still me"

The petite teen raised her eyebrows and stared at the young man in front of her before sighing "Troy, you and me, we're different. This school obviously takes social order very seriously if they have posters of their basketball team plastered all over the walls"

It was Troy's turned to be confused "Yeah, I know we're different and that's why we get on so well, it's a good thing"

"Yeah but in this school it means we don't associate with each other Troy"

As he opened his mouth to argue he found himself cut off by a voice coming from behind them. Troy's best friend, Chad, had been listening to their conversation.

"Dude, the chick is right. You can't be friends with her; she's obviously a brainiac or in other words a geek! Do you know what that would do to your reputation?"

Troy sighed and looked between both of his friends before looking down to the floor, unsure what he was supposed to do. He knew what his best friend had said was partly true; the school would not approve of his and Gabriella's friendship yet a part of him was telling him to forget that.

"Troy, its fine, I understand and I'll see you around...maybe"

With that she walked away from him and a sinking feeling replaced the joy and happiness he had felt at having his friend in the same school. He knew he shouldn't have hesitated, he knew he should have reassured her they could be friends but in the end they both knew that this school would tear them down for such things.

"Come on dude, forget her. There are plenty of other girls around here for you. Now let's go to class before Miss Roberts freaks out"

Troy stood a moment longer and watched the retreating form of the girl he had grown fond of over the last couple of months. He sighed deeply before turning away and walking to his own class all the while having to listen to his bushy haired friend talk about all the 'hot' girls that were dying to get with him.

The next few weeks passed at an horrendously slow place for both teens but for Troy in particular the thought of knowing that the one girl who was special to him was in the same school yet was out of reach was torture. He blamed the school, he blamed the kids, he blamed the teachers but most of all he blamed himself. The choice had been his to make yet his popularity and standing as the basketball team captain had made him falter for that brief second and now the girl he so desperately wanted contact with would not so much as look at him never mind give him two words out of that sweet mouth of hers. The young boy knew he had a choice to make right now; he could either leave the situation as it was or he could take a risk. He knew without a doubt that in his heart that taking a risk was what he truly wanted, he wanted to be able to talk to his friend but he'd have to be fearless. Breaking the rules brought shunning and while he couldn't lose his place as basketball captain, the job would certainly be much harder if he chose Gabriella over the social order. He knew no one would understand his decision at first as they were all so blinded by the social code that they couldn't possibly imagine how being popular didn't matter but he knew this was a risk worth taking.

As Monday morning rolled around once again, Troy took a deep breath before stepping out of his black SUV and heading to the fountain where he knew Gabriella Montez would be waiting for her friend Taylor McKessie.

"Good morning Ella" He greeted as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Gabriella turned around at the sound of his voice and looked at him cautiously. "Troy" She replied in a monotone voice. "Can I help you?"

"Actually you can. You can walk with me to homeroom"

Gabriella scrunched her nose up and cocked her head to the side as she studied the boy in front of her, had he been smoking something or had he slipped and banged his head because the last time she checked, they were forbidden to talk to each other let alone be seen together. "I'm not sure I understand..."

Troy shrugged effortlessly "I'm tired of all these cliques. I want to hang out with you Gabriella and I'll be damned if some invisible social code is going to stop me doing that"

"I-are you sure about this? You have your reputation..." Her voice expressed her weariness and her worry for his social standing as she was cut off.

"Forget about it. Some things are more important and it's about time people started thinking for themselves around here. So what do you say? Want to crash down some walls with me?"

Gabriella smiled widely at her friend before linking his arm and guiding them towards the large entrance to the school. "I'd take on the world with you if you wanted, let's do this"

Entering through the main doors of East High brought them to one of the busiest and most important hallways in the school. This was the main hallway into the school and there were crowds of teens huddled together discussing their common interests or the latest gossip.

Beginning their journey down the hallway the pair of teens were met with stares and gasps as people gawked at the pair of opposites as they linked arms and chatted away happily. The student body was outraged while the couple's respective clicks were beyond outraged and swore they would stop this from happening before things got far worse for everyone.

Troy could feel the stares and knew Gabriella was feeling insecure with all the attention focused on them and pulled her closer. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his chest as they continued their journey to their homeroom; shielding her from glares and comments directed their way.

"Are you okay?" Concern and worry were etched in his voice as it spoke softly.

Gabriella met his eyes "With you to protect me, I'm more than okay" She expressed softly as they entered their homeroom.

Their intense gaze was broken with the shrill sound of voices screaming their names and footsteps bounding towards them as if there were some dire emergency taking place.

"Dude, you have got to be kidding me! I thought we discussed this?" Chad Danforth yelled loudly obviously infuriated with his best friend.

Troy shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly "I guess news spreads fast, huh?"

"_Heard?_ Oh yes we _heard_ the news. I just have to say what the _heck _do you think you two are playing at? Have you not _heard_ of the social order?" Taylor McKessie was furious at her friend.

Gabriella's anger was starting to boil inside of her at the ignorance and lack of understanding coming from her friend. Of all people Gabriella thought of, she thought that Taylor would understand what it was like to be put in a box and kept in there. "Firstly Taylor, can you stop emphasising the word 'heard'! Secondly, yes we have heard of the social order and quite frankly neither of us is very fond of it. Thirdly we think were friends and you can't stop that"

No one imagined Gabriella Montez to be fiery and passionate but her last speech had proved she was just that and had stunned all of them into silence as they seen a different side to her.

Regaining her composure and confidence Taylor glared at her friend "I don't think I can stop it but I think the school can and believe me they will Gabriella because it's just not right. It's not the way it's supposed to be"

"Absolutely, I agree with what she just said. Troy man, you can't hang out with her, she's a _geek_" Chad added.

"What part of _it's my life_ do you not understand? If you were our friends, you'd stand by us and support us but evidently you're not so if you'll excuse us"

Chad Danforth and Taylor McKessie were bewildered as they watched their friends retreat to the back of the classroom and sit down right beside each other. They couldn't believe what was happening and neither could the rest of the class who had been watching the scene unfold in front of their very eyes. Each felt that this was the start of something different, the start of a situation that was about to become a lot more complicated than it already was.

Meanwhile both Troy and Gabriella grinned at each other as they realised they had made a step of progress in their mission to break down the barriers the school held in place to prevent those with different interests interacting with one another. Both felt happy that they had stood their ground and declared that they would be friends no matter what people told them about social order and the status quo.

The day followed with stares, gasps and gossip wherever the pair went but neither one of them broke or let it ruin their mood. They simply acted as though everything in the world was normal and this added to fury of the students in the school who could not understand this rebellion.

"Wildcats pair up" Troy yelled as he entered the gym that afternoon for practice.

"Oooh look who it is! The traitor" A tall male called out from across the room.

Chad scoffed "More like a disappointment. He doesn't care about anything but himself"

Several murmurs of agreement could be heard around the room and nods of the heads could be seen also as Troy stood in front of his team.

"I said; wildcats pair up. Now" The tone of voice was angry and bellowed throughout the large gym, shocking many of the people in there.

Practice had been gruelling and much harder work than usual when you had to constantly repeat yourself and raise your voice to get things done and Troy was drained. He couldn't believe the audacity his own team had to insinuate he didn't care about any of them or that he was a disappointment. He knew he was none of that but he couldn't help but feel irate and tense as he replayed the scene over and again in his mind.

"Troy! Troy, wait up" A sweet voice called through the halls as her heels could be heard clicking on the hard floor beneath her.

Troy spun around at the sound of her voice and waited for the girl to catch up to him.

"Are you okay? How was practise?" Gabriella enquired as they walked out of the school building together.

Troy sighed deeply as he now leant on his black SUV in the parking lot of the school; he had no idea what to think anymore. "I'm okay, I guess. Practise was hard; the guys gave me a hard time"

"They did, huh?" Gabriella confirmed; her eyes softening as she looked at the beaten boy in front of her.

"Yeah, they really have no intention of backing down" Troy sighed; he was annoyed and fed up of this crap already. Why were people such idiots and how did he ever think they could change things?

"Troy, don't listen to them. They don't understand yet is all. You're a good guy Troy and what you're – we're doing, is a good thing. The real world isn't a popularity contest and you're going to have to interact with many different people and the sooner people understand that the better" Her voice was strong, confident and passionate as she assured him that what they were doing was right and it was everyone else who was wrong.

Right there at that moment, Troy knew that everything they were fighting for was right. He knew that every word Gabriella spoke was true and she was definitely wise beyond her years. This was one of the reasons why he adored her so much and what had attracted him to her over the summer; she was down to earth and honest, she wasn't superficial or arrogant and she wanted nothing but the best for herself and others too. He knew it was time for change.

"You're right, as always. I have the right to be friends with whom I want too and no one has the right to tell me who I can and can't talk too"

Gabriella smiled softly at him as she stared into his ocean blue eyes; Troy Bolton was not the guy everyone assumed he was and it was high time people realised that you can't place people into boxes and expect them to stay there. "I'm happy you think that. Now how about we go and get some Ice Cream?"

Troy laughed at her ability to make the day that little bit brighter and her want to make the world a better place for everyone. He was sure she would go on to do great things in the future. "Okay but only on one condition"

Gabriella pursed her lips "And what would this condition be Mr. Bolton?"

The connection and chemistry between them was evident as the pair stood their openly flirting with one another in the parking lot of a high school.

"We make it a date" His reply was simple and laid back as he watched her eyes turn from shock to realisation to happiness.

"Well I guess I could live with that" Her try at sounding cool and indifferent backfired when a light blush tinted her tanned cheeks and she bit her lip from the intense stare from Troy.

From that night forward the pair considered they were a couple and both were delighted with the progress in their relationship in such a short amount of time. The week carried on as it started with both teens insisting that they would not be separated and as they walked in to school that Wednesday morning a shock was waiting for them in the form of several students from different cliques interacting with one another. The duo looked at this blankly for a while before what was going on registered in their minds.

"Uh, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Troy asked as he continued to stare ahead of him.

Gabriella blinked several times before smiling "You know, I think we're both seeing something amazing. Though I'm slightly cautious, you don't think this a joke?"

"I hope not"

As the teens continued to walk through the halls to their lockers they came to an abrupt halt when they were intercepted by several students.

"Hey guys, we just wanted to say how great you are for attempting to change things around here" a tall skater boy said meaningfully.

A shy young girl nodded her head in agreement "Uh absolutely, you guys are awesome for hanging out together and not caring"

"I hope it works out because it makes more sense this way" Another girl chipped in before they all disappeared and presumably headed to their respective homerooms.

Neither Troy nor Gabriella could believe their ears; had they really just witnessed students who _wanted_ this change? Students who appeared to have some sense in their brains? Surely not? This had to be some sort of joke, didn't it? It couldn't possibly be _real_!

"Ahhh, what was that for? Troy Bolton exclaimed as he felt his girlfriend pinch his arm.

Gabriella shrugged her shoulders "Just testing to see if that was real is all. I mean can you believe it?" The thought of students who would support them baffled her.

Troy shook his head "Not at all, I mean that was completely unexpected"

"Well you should expect the unexpected sometimes; there a lot of people who support you in this school, they're just too scared to admit it unlike some of us" The voice came from behind the teens and was one of someone who that sort of comment was unexpected.

Troy rolled his eyes "Sharpay, what do you want?"

Sharpay otherwise known as the ice princess tapped her foot impatiently and gave a dramatic sigh "Bolton, I'm trying to tell you that you have the support of a lot of people in this school but they just won't admit it out loud. I, myself am one of those supporters"

"Y-you are?" Gabriella queried cautiously as she took in the pinkness of the blonde in front of her.

"Yes, it's about time this school had a change. It's a little silly to live by some unwritten rules, where's the fun in that? We need to spice things up around here and you have my support"

"Um, well thanks I guess. It's good to know we have at least a few people behind us" The blond haired boy's voice held a trace of despair at the thought of the amount of people fighting them right now.

The Barbie doll lookalike shrugged "You're doing the right thing and those who say they like the system the way it is are lying. Who likes to be segregated? I should have total freedom to talk to who I want"

With that the blonde walked off and got back to texting on her cell phone with her perfectly manicured nails painted in hot pink and shining with glitter.

Having the support of others around them, encouraged the teens that what they were doing was right but it was all too clear that not everyone had the intention of backing down so easily.

"Bolton, I want a word, now" Chad Danforth called through the hallways.

Gabriella took a step behind Troy at the sound of the anger resonating in the voice booming from a mere distance away.

"What do you want Danforth?"

"Bolton, you better stop this ridiculous stunt you're pulling or you're off the team"

Troy took a step closer to the boy "Oh right and who says?"

"The team does, they voted and if you don't agree then you're no longer captain"

Troy took a step back and shook his head at the naivety of his supposed best friend "Fine then, you can win the championships on your own, I guess you don't need me"

"I-huh? You're serious? You're going to give up captaincy for _her, _for this stupid stunt?" Chad couldn't believe it; his threat was supposed to be a sure fire way of getting the old Troy back but it hadn't worked.

"Chad, you're not the person I thought you were. We've been best friends, brothers, since kindergarten but looking at you now I don't see the guy I used to know. If you want me off the team as captain then fine but you'll be the one explaining to coach"

Gabriella watched the boys carefully as she listened to the conversation and suddenly she felt like this was wrong; that they were fighting a losing battle. "Troy, you should be on the team, you belong there. Don't give that up for me" The emotion in the spoken words could be felt as both boys raised their eyebrows at her statement.

"Ella, if Chad wants me off the team then that's his problem. I don't care about popularity or status; I care about being able to talk to whoever I want and playing basketball because I enjoy it not because I want fame"

Chad was dumbfounded; his best friend was deadly serious, he was going to give up captaincy if he wanted him too. There was no doubt that Troy was the best job for the position of captain; he had the right charisma and strength to do it and he was a good friend to his teammates. Chad knew how much Troy loved his role as captain and here he was about to give it up in order to be friends with people with a different social standing – it was astonishing. While he didn't approve of the shenanigans going on around the school due to the two people in front of him, he had to admit that it was a brave move to make and he admired Troy's courage, particularly now he was about to give up the sport he loved just to make him happy.

"I don't approve of this" The African American boy gestured between the two. "Yet somehow I admire your courage and that type of courage is what we need in a captain, I'll see you at practice tonight"

With that the dark skinned boy walked away, shaking his head at the craziness that had overtaken the school the last few days and the situation he was in with his best friend.

"Troy, you didn't have to do that but thank you" Her voice was low and sweet as she bit her lip and stared at her feet.

Troy grinned boyishly at her cuteness before tilting her chin up "El, it was the right thing to do; you're stuck with me now and besides it all turned out well in the end. I should be thanking you"

The Latina scrunched up her nose and cocked her head to one side as she always did in confusion "Huh? What do you have me to thank for? I almost got you kicked off the team and prevented them winning the championships"

"Ah but you taught me so much more than I've learned by shooting a basketball; you taught me how important it is to be myself and that that's okay. You taught me to have courage and to stand up for what's right. You've done more for a lot of people than you realise" The sincerity in his voice was clear as brown and blue connected.

"Thank you but I haven't done nothing special, I just did what I thought was right. Now we better get to class before we get detention and having detention when you have basketball practice will not go down well"

Troy chuckled and agreed before he grabbed his girlfriends hand and they headed towards their homeroom. The day passed relatively quickly for once at East High and as the last bell rang both teens parted ways to head to their separate practices. Neither was looking forward to seeing their teammates but Gabriella in particular knew that Taylor was relentless and stubborn and would no doubt have some sure fire way to try and convince her this was all a mistake.

"Ah Gabriella, nice to see you finally arrived" Taylor Mckessie was annoyed at the sight of her former best friend and her voice expressed the infuriation she currently felt surging through her young body.

Gabriella rolled her eyes "Give it a rest Taylor. I'm actually five minutes early so get off your high horse and just do your job"

"How dare you speak to me like that, I could kick you off this team you know?"

"Mmhm, I'm more than aware of that Taylor but answer me something? What would you be kicking me off the team for? For standing up for what I believe in? For having the courage to say no, to a social order that is completely ridiculous? Or to saying no to being stuck in a box and being prevented from being anything but what that label says on that box?"

Taylor stood flabbergasted; she had never seen Gabriella so worked up and passionate for something in the time she had been at the school and she had to admit that it would give her a very successful future career. Still she couldn't bring herself to agree that what she and Troy were doing was right, she couldn't comprehend in her mind how this could turn out well in the end.

"Gabriella this is not going to end well. While your argument in theory is a good one, in reality it isn't. Reality isn't everything you imagine it could be in your mind and the social order of this school does not change because two people decide it should"

Gabriella shook her head and scoffed "I'm out of here but let me know when you come to your senses Taylor because I know that you as much as anyone else in this school hates being shoved into a box and labelled as a freak or a geek just because you use your brain"

Gabriella left the room and walked down the hallway, coming to a stop and resting her back against the cold wall to regain her composure. She couldn't fathom were all her courage and strength had come from in the last week and it was ever so slightly terrifying and unnerving at the same time. Something inside her just bubbled up to the service and let loose without her having any control over it.

Neither teen could comprehend the impact there refusal to adhere to the social order was having in school on that Friday as they were greeted with the site of different people interacting with each other during the day. Of course there were only a small amount of people who had been brave enough to step out of their boxes and break down the barriers but this was a significant improvement to no one at all. The sight filled both Gabriella and Troy with joy and with a certain amount of pride at the thought they had caused it to happen.

"Well looks like we had an impact on some people around here at least" Gabriella stated with a small smile that lunchtime.

The floppy haired boy was thoughtful for a second. "Yeah, I never expected people to actually follow us. I guess time will tell what goes on from here"

"Are you nervous about the game tonight? First game of the season and all"

Troy smiled widely "No. Not at all; my teammates might hate me right now but if I have you there then I have nothing to worry about"

"Who knew you were so cheesy Bolton?" Her melodic giggled filled the surrounding space, almost sending Troy into a frenzy. "Seriously though, aren't you worried about having most of the school there? I know I am"

"We have nothing to worry about Ella, what we're standing for is right and I won't give my girlfriend up just because she actually uses her brain"

"Yeah, I guess..."

Troy brought her close and kissed the top of her forehead "it'll work out fine Ells but I do have something to ask you about tonight..."

Gabriella gazed up at her boyfriend curiously "Well don't leave me in suspense"

"Well uh, I'd like it if you wore my basketball jacket to the game and you know I was wondering if you'd do it" Suddenly he was nervous as he watched his girlfriend register his words.

"I-I, uh, um, are you sure?" The nervousness and confusion was written across her delicate features as she thought about the implication of his statement. The only time a guy gave a girl his sports jacket was when he wanted the whole world to know their relationship was official and said girl was taken.

He took her small hands into his larger ones before making eye contact "I've never been surer about anything in my life Ella. Will you do it?"

"Of course Troy, I'd be honoured"

The pair smiled crazily at each other the whole way through lunch period both excited and nervous for what could potentially go down tonight during the first game of the season.

Gabriella was nervous, no scratch that, she was petrified. She was about to enter the East High Wildcats gym for the first game of the season and she had Troy Bolton's wildcat jacket on with his name and number on the back. The gym was already half full and as she stood at the door, she hesitated, wondering if this was such a good idea after all. She had courage and she wanted change but perhaps this was a step too far too soon.

Hearing footsteps Gabriella turned around and seen a less than pleased student standing behind her.

"Why are you wearing Troy's basketball jacket? That should be mine" A strawberry blonde girl sneered as she back Gabriella into the wall.

"Troy asked me to wear it" Gabriella responded cautiously.

The girl scoffed as she pointed her manicured nail at Gabriella "Well he's obviously deluded, that jacket is meant for me and I'll get it eventually"

The girl walked off in a huff and Gabriella sighed, this was just great. She had more haters than she knew what to do with and she knew wearing this jacket was not going to help that situation. Yet she knew Troy had asked her to wear it and no one else; he wanted to see her in it and he was expecting her in the gym already.

"Shouldn't you be inside already?" The voice was thoughtful and hesitant.

Gabriella spun around and came face to face with the girl who was supposed to be her best friend "I should be, yes. Yet somehow I'm standing here wondering if this is such a good idea! I wonder why that could be..."

Taylor could hear the bitter edge to her former friend's voice as she spoke and she winced ever so slightly. She knew she deserved to be treated badly after how she had been acting of late but having that confirmation from the one person who understood you the most, hurt. "You should go in, he'll be expecting you. He's probably peaking every five seconds to see if you've arrived yet"

"Not to be rude Taylor but is there a reason you're being so nice?"

Taylor bit her lip and forced herself to meet her friends eyes "I'm sorry. Not for being nice but for being so horrible lately. What you did, you and Troy did, it takes a lot of nerve and it was something that needed to be done. I was so against it because I thought we all had to stick in our little boxes and do what some stupid code told us to do but the other day, what you said, well it made me realise that if I'd have had half the guts you have, it would have been something I'd have wanted to do"

Gabriella smiled lightly at her friend "Thanks, I guess. It means a lot to know you're actually on my side"

"You bet I am. Think you'd like to be friends again?"

"Of course" Gabriella agreed wholeheartedly, her eyes shining with sincerity and forgiveness.

Taylor smiled at her friend and hugged her before her smile turned into a smirk "Oh so someone's wearing her boyfriend's jacket, must be serious!"

Gabriella rolled her eyes playfully "Yeah, it kind of is I guess. Not sure if this is the best idea we've had though"

"Girl if you don't get your butt in there, I'm going to have to drag you in because that boy is going to be going crazy waiting for you to arrive. Stuff the school; they can think whatever they want"

With that Taylor opened the doors to the gym and Gabriella took a deep breath before putting one foot in front of the other and walking alongside her friend to the bleachers. After being only a few steps in she could already feel the glares from many of the students in the room and a blush rose to her cheeks under the attention.

"Oh look at that geek with Troy's jacket"

"Wow, that girl has guts"

"Aw that's so cute"

The comments were mixed as they approached the bleachers and Gabriella looked down at her feet and bit her lip in her nervousness.

Taylor nudged her friend "Hold your head up girl! You have nothing to be ashamed off "

The assurance and comfort from her friend reassured Gabriella of her and Troy's purpose of breaking down the barriers and bringing an end to cliques and segregation based on intellect and skill. As her feet moved across the floor, one in front of the other she thought about how they were one step closer to crashing through the barriers that had been in place at East High for as long as anyone could remember. The thought gave her the confidence to hold her head up high and shoot a smile at her boyfriend who had just walked on court, as she took her seat on the bleachers.

The game was intense, both teams were on top form at the beginning of their season and both by now were exhausted. Troy had the ball, they were a point away from winning their first game and while this seemed trivial and unimportant to most, to the wildcats every game was important. He shot a quick glance to the side of him and spotted his girlfriend cheering him on with Taylor and he drew his strength from the fact he had his own personal cheerleader in the stands that had the most amazing strength out of anyone he knew. He faked a left and went right, running and shooting the ball and watched it land right in the net, scoring the team a 3 pointer and a win. The crowd cheered and clapped as both teams shook hands and the wildcats were congratulated on a great start to the season. Troy however had more important things on his mind as he watched his girlfriend descend the steps of the bleachers and make her way towards him.

"Congratulations wildcat" She smiled as he met her half way.

Taylor nodded her head in agreement "Uh yeah congratulations Troy, good game and I'm sorry for you know, everything"

"Not a problem and thanks" Troy said sincerely but breathlessly as he focused his gaze on the girl with long flowing curls in front of him who was wearing his jacket.

Taylor looked between the boyfriend and girlfriend and smiled before making her excuses to leave "Um, I think I'm going to go talk to some people over there" She walked away quickly not wanting to feel like the third wheel between the two people who were clearly besotted with one another.

"So I think you should keep that jacket...it looks amazing on you" Troy stated with a smirk on his face as he pulled his girlfriend close to him.

Gabriella giggled and rolled her eyes at the sweaty boy "Thanks. I kind of liked wearing it too" A deep blush rose to her cheeks at her confession and she buried her face in the well built chest of her boyfriend.

It was Troy's turn to laugh as he seen his girlfriends reaction "Hey, don't be embarrassed" he pulled her chin up to meet his as he spoke.

Once again blue and brown connected and both felt the invisible force pulling them closer together as their heads leaned in and their breaths became heavier. The whole world around them seemed to come to a standstill as their lips touched and moved against each other's slowly.

Suddenly, the crowd went wild and cheering could be heard from many of the students filling the gym at that moment. The adorableness of the pair and their determination to be together had won over the hearts and minds of much of the student body as they stood there, oblivious to everything around them. No one in their right mind could deny in that moment that the couple kissing in the middle of the gym weren't meant to be. Many also couldn't deny that people from different cliques could mix and be together as friends or lovers.

As the couple pulled back, they heard the cheers and grinned even wider; everything they were standing for was having an effect. They were finally winning people over and seeing progress and it was a pleasant feeling.

"Looks like we have ourselves some followers" Troy grinned as he placed a chaste kiss on his girlfriends lips.

Gabriella looked around and smiled at the sight of different types of people interacting with each other and prayed that this would last; that it would progress into more. "Yeah, it's definitely a step in the right direction"

By the next week's end, the couple found themselves witnessing a major turn around in the way the school worked. They witnessed interactions they could only ever dream about between different cliques and people were much more accepting of them too. Even Chad had come around to the idea and had apologised profusely. Tonight would be a test for everyone though; tonight was the homecoming dance. How much the school was changing could be detected from the couples seen at the dance, the interactions taking place and then ultimately homecoming king and queen.

Gabriella was nervous as anything that night as she and Troy arrived at into the school parking lot in Troy's SUV. Troy too could sense the nervousness from Gabriella.

"El, don't be nervous, we're going to have a great night"

Gabriella took a deep breath and smiled "Yeah, I know. I'll be fine"

As the pair made their way through the school and entered the gym, people turned around and smiled at the couple. They were greeted by many of their fellow students as though they were heroes and were suddenly famous. Looking around the hall, no one could have imagined the site the young teens were seeing. Surrounding them were teens of all shapes, sizes and interests and they were daring to step away from their own clique and talk to others. There were even several couples that were definitely from different cliques and it was a sight to behold, a sight to remember forever.

"Care to dance Ella?" Troy said with a bow as though he had stepped out of the olden days.

The brunette shook her head at him before agreeing "I'd love to dance"

The pair took to the floor and held each other close as their bodies swayed to the beat of the music that was playing in the background. They danced to the slow songs and they danced to the fast songs but most all they danced as though their lives depended on it. They enjoy each other's presence and had the time of their life as the music played on through the night until the time came to announce the homecoming King and Queen.

"Students, may I please have your attention" The principal of East High announced.

The student body stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to focus on the large stage that had been erected at the front of the spacious hall. Each teen knew what was about to happen and each teen prayed that perhaps for once that something different would take place but none held out a lot of hope just yet.

"Thank you all for attending tonight; it's been a pleasurable evening. Now, however, it's time to announce our King and Queen.

As the principal babbled on a little while longer and prepared to announce who the new King and Queen of East High would be, Gabriella and Troy were approached by a fellow student.

"Oi, you, yes you two!"

Troy raised his eyebrow at the girl in front of him who looked like she had used far too makeup and tanning lotion "Can we help you, Jessica?"

"Yes you can. You can back off and leave the school alone. We were perfectly fine before you two started meddling"

Gabriella sighed irritably as her patience with the girl in front of her wore thin "Okay, Jessica, do me a favour and look around you. People are actually happy now because they can talk to who they want. We didn't force people to follow us; we just stated that we would not live up to the social order in place"

"Humph, well I'm warning you now, I won't stand for it and just so you know neither of you will be homecoming king or queen after what you've caused"

Troy laughed at her idiocy "Really Jessica? You think you can intimidate us? We don't care about being king or queen, we just care about being happy, now if you could just leave"

Gabriella bit back a laugh at the expression that crossed Jessica's face before she stomped off into the crowd and found her so called friends. She knew if people like Jessica were worried about the changes happening at East High then it was definitely a good thing that they had done.

"...and now the king of East High is Troy Bolton"

Troy who had been laughing with Gabriella turned to face the stage and his eyes widened with shock; this had had been the last thing he had expected.

"Troy, go, go, quickly" Gabriella urged as she pushed him towards the stage before joining in the cheers and clapping of the school.

"Now the queen of East High chosen by everyone here is...Gabriella Montez"

Gabriella stood frozen to the spot at the sound of her name as she struggled to process what was happening. She, Gabriella Montez, former geek of East High was just announced as the homecoming queen. The student body had voted for _her_, they had wanted _her. _Coming to her senses she robotically put one foot in front of the other as she made her way up onto the stage to cheers. There was also the sound of several haters screaming about how it was absurd and a fix but most of all there were cheers, loud cheers that made her smile.

As both received their rightful crowns, the crowd went wild for them once again; everyone shocked but elated to finally see deserving people on the stage and becoming king and queen.

"And now for a few words from our king and queen" The principal spoke into the cheering crowd.

Troy cleared his throat and took the microphone "...Um, well to be honest I'm pretty speechless. I'm honoured to be the homecoming king but I owe it all to the queen right beside me here" He smiled as turned to look at his beautiful girlfriend. "Gabriella is the one who taught me that being yourself is the most important thing in the world and gave me the courage to stand up and fight for what is undoubtedly right" He paused for a second to watch the crowd "She's the one we owe everything to so I think I'll let her speak"

Gabriella smiled brightly "Firstly, I'd like to thank you all for your support, it means the world. Secondly, I'd like to say that it's great to see changes around here. The old social code put us into boxes and tried to label us when in reality we are all so much more. We all have the right to talk to who we want, when we want and I hope it stays like that around here. Thank you"

With that the pair looked at each other and smiled before turning back to the crowd and raising their crowns off their heads and into the air. The act was simple but spoke a million words to the students surrounding them. The act symbolised the crowns were not just for the King and queen but for everyone in that room; they were the symbol of thanks and most importantly the symbol of change. Changes that happened and change that was still to come.

_Long live all the magic we made and bring on all the pretenders, one day we will be remembered_

* * *

**I own storyline only, all rights go to rightful owners! Song at the end is Taylor Swift - Long Live! Please Review and thanks for reading :)**


End file.
